


That time the Chameleon fell in love with Riku Ogami

by Act_ocean



Category: Act-Age (Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Not Beta Read, Rarepair, Single Parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:13:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23632156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Act_ocean/pseuds/Act_ocean
Summary: Araya Myojin is a terrible excuse of a father and he knows it. his life isn’t amazing and even though he keeps getting bored, he is content. At least that’s until Riku Õgami comes along and changes everything.
Relationships: Riku Ogami/Araya Myojin, a bit of Chiyoko Momoshiro/Kei Yonagi
Comments: 6
Kudos: 5





	That time the Chameleon fell in love with Riku Ogami

**Author's Note:**

> This were supposed to be short.

Why did he adopt her again?

The thought had run through Araya’s mind over a hundred million times since he adopted Chiyoko, and he still couldn’t find an answer. He had had the little seven-year-old girl for over a year now, and he couldn’t grasp why he didn’t just return her to the adoption center.

It wasn’t like he ever wanted to a dad.

Well that wasn’t all true. He had wanted to be a dad, but not a real one, just for a role. He was supposed to play a single dad, who saw his daughter leave him so should could leave him. The play would consist of him thinking of the good old times and talking about how much of a bitch his daughter is because of her leaving him.

It was a story of a man learning about change. Accepting that this can’t stay the same forever.

There was just one problem. Araya had never had a child, so he couldn’t understand the feelings of the main character. Araya just couldn’t.

But then he realized there was an easy solution: Adoption. Not full time of course. Just a few months of taking care of it, and the he would return it.

It couldn’t be that hard, could it?

So that was what he did.

He went ahead and called the adoption center and asked If they had any children, he could take care of for a few months, and course they had more than many.

And out of the many he selected Chiyoko. The staff insisted that he shouldn’t adopt her, but he didn’t care, he was fascinated by the little girl without any sent. She acted so polite and sweet, and at first, he thought it was a sign of her being true to herself.

A sign of her being a kind soul.

But sadly, that wasn’t the truth. Chiyoko was a master of putting up a façade, and she knew exactly how to hide her real personality.

The personality that were shown when she started to live with him.

She was a little creep.

She liked people’s expressions and bugs. Such weird things for a child to like, and Araya Could see how any normal person would be turned off by that.

Maybe that was why she hid herself?

Well, Araya didn’t care. He was fascinated by the little girl. The black-haired male wanted to get to know her. He was fascinated by how she was so great of an actor without having any smell, and he liked how she wasn’t overly touchy.

Araya had taken her in, and it really helped him get in role, but the problem came up when he realized, that he started to care about Chiyoko. the male liked the little girl, and he liked how they complimented each other.

The young adult didn’t want to return her.

he didn’t want to return his little angel. A nickname he came up with While being at the mall. They’d been shopping, and Chiyoko had been intensely observing people. Araya had given up on stopping her. He knew that she hid her weird habit, when other people were around, and it didn’t bother him.

So, they had been at the mall and he had been distracted by the prices. Looking for the cheapest one. He didn’t notice anything.

He had walked into someone. It had been a mess and both of their stuff had fallen to the ground. Araya had no idea how to react, so he just sat. Sat and stared at the person. He’d never had an encounter like that before.

It looked like the whole incident would end up with Araya getting yelled at, but suddenly Chiyoko stepped in. The little girl had sweetly calmed the woman down and told her a little white lie. She grabbed Araya’s hand and had gotten them away.

That was the first time she had called him dad.

She had acted so angelic that day, and whenever they were around people, He started to notice that she actually put up an angelic act. Just like when he had met her.

He really didn’t want to give up the little girl, and when the three months were over:

He quit acting.

Araya gave the thing that meant the most to him up. Applied for full time adoption. It wasn’t like that there were any great directors in the industry any longer. The little girl had stolen his heart, and now there wasn’t place for acting.

The old man would have scolded him for hours, but hey, he finally had a kind of relationship with a person. It was more than he had managed for a long time.

The black-haired male loved the little girl, but he wasn’t sure about the permanent adoption. Mostly because of all the problems she brought.

Like this.

It was her first day in middle school. Araya seriously didn’t want to give set her off.

“It’s going to be fine dad. It’s just middle school, I went to elementary before you adopted me. You know, that right? It’s not going to be that different. I’m going to be ok, and can’t you see all the positive things that’s comes out of this? you can finally start to work again. No more home school,” Chiyoko said blatantly, and placed her little hand on his arm.

Araya looked out of the window in the car. All the children were sent off and running up to the school and it was nearly time:” Of course I Know Angel.”

“Then why won’t you let me out?” the disappointment in the Angel’s eyes were clear.

Araya Yawned and looked at her with that look:” Sorry I’m just tired.”

She shook her head and grabbed her bag:” let me out Dad.”

Seriously why did he have to be exposed to this. he wanted thois to be over, but he didn’t want Chiyoko to leave. But then again, the little girl would pester him until he just opened.

So he gave up.

Araya opened the door and looked away.

“Aren’t you going to follow me to the gate?”

The retired actor Moaned and looked at his Daughter:” Chiyoko you know how I am around people. Isn’t it you who always says that I’m not a normally functionally adult, and I wouldn’t survive a week in the real world without your help? Which I totally did. I would only embarrass you.”

“Firstly, that wasn’t surviving you were on the brink of death, and your apartment were a mess. I’m the only reason you get out of bed in the morning without work, and secondly, you aren’t going to embarrass in any way I can’t fix. I want my dad to follow me to the school gate. Just like normal people,” she tried to drag him out of the car.

“But Angel we aren’t normal peopl-“

She gave him that smile. That wicked creepy smile that meant she was angry:” well I don’t care!”

Of course she did, Araya well knew that, but apparently the consequence of new classmates meeting him was smaller than the consequence of her not being followed to the gate.

Araya finally let her drag him along. There was no point in arguing with her when she was in that temper. She always insisted that they needed to appear normal to the outside. It was an idea that had gotten into her head after she had realized that people’s perception not only was based on her angelic façade but could also be based on her guardians’ actions.

After she’d realized that, Araya suddenly needed to act “normally”. It was a pain. He just wanted to live a quiet life. Not really doing much, just taking care of his daughter, and laying around and sleeping. Everything else were boring. Acting had been the thing that saved him from his boredom, before Chiyoko, but when the old man died, everything changed.

The retired actor had still liked acting for a while after the funeral, but when he met Chiyoko he suddenly found something quite interesting again.

He had the money from the old man, so he was able to support them. Araya could homeschool her for years, and he could sleep the rest of the time. That was his perfect life, but Chiyoko insisted on going to a school. It had been a long argument. She had Originally, also wanted him to start working again.

Maybe his life was truly sad? He was having arguments with his seven-year-old adopted daughter, and from an outsider’s perspective, she was the more mature one.

And he accepted that. He’d eventually given up om fighting her “normality”

Well see were that got him. A seven-year-old was dragging him in his sleeve. Just so he could say goodbye to her.

“Now you say goodbye,” she looked intensely into his eyes.

He didn’t have a choice, did he?

Placing his hand on her head, he started to form the words, when suddenly:

“Iiiiiiiihhhhhh! Riku! Õgami!”

Suddenly the schoolyard was filled with screams of parents. They were all running in one direction. Bees to honey. All circling around the center of their attention like the planet’s circles around the sun.

Araya had a vague remembrance of hearing the name before and turned his eyes to the center of attention. Totally forgot Chiyoko and focused on the man.

Riku Õgami.

He felt the wind blow around him, and his breath were taken away. The man smelled like strawberries.

Õgami was an actor. Araya suddenly recalled were he had heard the name before. Quite a celebrity. One of the most known Japanese actors, and a beast in the world of movies. The man was an example of an actor that broke free of the limitations of being an Asian actor and acted in mainstream Hollywood movies.

He was also an asshole, or that was the impression that Araya had gotten. To be fair to Araya most movie actors were assholes. They always acted so confident and swam in love from fans. They all thought they were the next big star, but most of them had next to no smell. Not I the same way as Chiyoko that was without any smell, but still managed to be amazing, no just boring, no love for actual acting.

But Õgami was the one that irritated him the most. Mostly because the guy didn’t act. He just didn’t. he just said words and used his enormous aura to entail people.

Araya had tried to delete the guy from his memory. The “actor” shouldn’t have a place in his head.

The man looked arrogantly around himself and smirked:” ladies calm down I don’t have time to do autographs right now. I must bring my little Antenna girl to the gate. Maybe later.” He tried to push himself and what Araya assumed to be a little girl through the crowd of screaming mothers.

“dad, Daaad, it hurts!”

He suddenly realized what he was doing. The male had been so distracted and angered, that he had started pulling his daughter hair.

“Shit,” he let go her hair and sat down:” I’m so sorry.”

If Chiyoko was normal she’d started crying, but she wasn’t, they weren’t.

“I’m okay Dad, just don’t get lost like I thoughts like that when I am not around.” She huffed and looked away.

Araya looked at her. Sometimes he would like if she acted more childish.

“Kid, you need to be less the adult in this relationship. I’m your parent, you know. I’m going to be fine, especially if you would do something for me,” he smirked, maybe he was kind of devilish.

“Don’t hang out with that arrogant guy’s daughter.”

~-~

The whole day had been so boring. Without Chiyoko around, it was just like before the Mr. Iwao picked him up.

Everything was boring.

Maybe he should start acting again. It couldn’t be worse that this. he had nearly the number of his contact in the theatre world dialed in, and was ready to call, when he remembered that acting was also boring.

It was boring without the crew. His family.

He had a new family now. They didn’t matter anymore.

He didn’t know how to cure the boredom. Normal jobs were of the list, too much energy wasted, and he had already tried everything else.

He counted the seconds to the end of Chiyoko’s school, waited nearly an hour at the back of the school.

And now his boredom would finally be over.

The thought of the boredom disappearing sent a thrill though him. Araya was excited. The retired actor was in his own world.

The only that wasn’t perfect was his placement. Araya had parked at the backside of school. Chiyoko had asked him to. The older male seriously didn’t understand. didn’t she want to be normal? Wasn’t it normal to pick your child up at the gate? according to her he was supposed to be a responsible dad. Was he that weird?

She had wanted him to walk her to the gate in the morning, so how was this Different?

Angel.

Lost in his thought he didn’t notice a figure approaching, at least he didn’t until he heard the knocking. Who the hell wanted to get his attention? He was sure that school wasn’t over yet.

Araya looked up, and shockingly a recognizable face looked through the window. What the hell did that idiot want with him, and what was he doing here.

He pushed the button and the window scrolled down. It would be rude to just let him stand.

Not like he cared about being rude, but Chiyoko was a thing.

“Riku Õgami I assume?” Araya was irritated and he was sure it showed.

The man cockily smiled and bowed down, so he was in eye height with Araya. Õgami looked so smug and said:” Oh, am I an inconvenience, I just wanted to say hi.”

“Why?”

Õgami laughed and took a step back:” Well I had kind off expected me to be the only person back here, and then I saw you. Of course, I thought that I needed to say hi. It would be polite. You are also picking up your child, right?”

God Araya wanted to punch him:” Does that even matter to you? and now that you’ve said hi, you can leave.”

“Feisty,” whistled the taller male, while his smirk became bigger.

Irritating, cocky and now a harasser. Could this get worse?

He pushed the button and the window started to close.

“NO!” the scream was sudden and out of nowhere and while Araya was distracted, Õgami placed his arm so he couldn’t close the window.

“Please don’t close the window,” he looked defeated.

What was up with this idiot. First, he looked so smug, and suddenly he was like a defeated puppy. At least for a second.

“What are you doing Õgami?”

“’I’m trying to create a conversation,” well the confidence was returning.

Why did he continue to talk to this “person” again?

“And now I’m asking again: Why?” this was going in circles.

Õgami took a deep breath and started to retreat:” I just wanted to get to know one of the other parents. Get a great first impression, but it’s impossible with those women. All they do is scream and fangirl like they are, what 15? You are another “dad”; it seemed a bit easier and we were both waiting here. Thought it was fate.” He retreated his hand fully.

Araya didn’t close the window.

“How did you know I was a parent, and more a parent of a child from your child’s class?” this guy just got more and more suspicious.

While lighting a cigarette the tall actor answered:” I saw you this morning, you said goodbye to your daughter at the gate. The white haired one if I’m correct.”

“Well that seems all well and great, but why did you notice me?” Araya surely knew that it would be a stupid reason.

Õgami threw his cigarette at he ground, stamped at it and looked up. Directly into Araya’s eyes.

“How could I not notice you beautiful? When do you not notice a pretty face like that? Especially with an ass like yours.”

The retired actor felt the warmth in his cheeks. What did hell was wrong with this man?

“Shut up,” he embarrassed and just wanted to forget that this ever happened. Did Õgami think that he would gain something be pretending to flirt with him.

“Oh, princess did you get embarrassed. I don’t think I understand. You obviously must get compliments like that every day,” Õgami wasn’t a force you could fight.

Araya needed and escape. Õgami had found a weakness in Araya’s own smug exterior, and he would probably use it against him.

He was silently panicking, but he tried to not show it.

“Dad!”

Chiyoko.

He felt the relief flow through him ang he looked up:” Of course I get compliments like that every day Õgami. It wasn’t embarrassment. I just wanted to throw up, and now would YOU be a “sweetheart” to leave. I have a daughter to pick up, and if I remember correctly, you have too.”

~-~

“Wasn’t that ´Riku Õgami?”

The question had to come at some point.

“Yes, it was, and I want you to stay even more away from his child,” Araya tried to put his focus on the road, and not on the anger he felt towards the celebrity.

Silence filled the car again. They hadn’t much to talk about.

Except they did:” By the way Angel, can I pick you up at the gate from now on?” it was kind of laughable that they were going to have this conversation.

“Why?” Chiyoko asked. Why were children like their parents again?

The male answered calmly:” You wanted to be normal right? And I’ve thought about it. It gives me less time with you to gat you at the back and it’s less normal.”

“But dad we already agreed on the other thing.”

“Well don’t the other thing make more sense? Didn’t you want me to say goodbye to you at the gate today? How is that any different?”

Chiyoko huffed and said:” It’s different because my classmates know who I am now. If they’ll see me with you now, they’ll know you’re my dad, and then they’ll probably figure out how much a freak you are.”

“Chiyoko that wasn’t kind. You’ve hurt my feelings,” he overplayed it, so she knew it was fake. The laughter from the backseat was it all worth and he laughed along.

“Angel I’ll try to act normal.”

A shocked gasp appeared form the little girl.

Araya ran his hand through his hair and moaned:” I know how important your little act is to you so I’ll just try to put up a little façade when I’m getting you.”

“But-”

Araya took a deep breath.

“We’ll make it work.”

~-~

So, their new routine started. Araya would drive Chiyoko to school every morning, say goodbye at the gate, and then proceed to experience over 6 hours of boredom, to then again return to life and pick Chiyoko up at School gate. Leaving the school, they would either return home or go pick up some groceries, usually the latter, because of “his continued social awkwardness” as Chiyoko stated. The girl needed make sure that he didn’t do something wrong. He didn’t understand her though. Araya had gotten better at social interactions the last month, so why did she still need to inspect him when they were out in public.

After they’d bought groceries, they would return home, and their daily routine would proceed as it used to do, except a few questions the now popped up in their conversations every day, like: how was your day? Or Did you learn something interesting at school?

Araya had come to be content with it even though it had its flaws, and he could probably say he was happy. At least by other people’s standards of being happy.

If you asked himself, he would probably just say content.

Chiyoko kept things interesting as always, but as time went by it just felt like something was missing. He never gained true bliss like the characters in the plays he had participated in when he was an actor, but this was his life.

He had chosen it. Araya had chosen Chiyoko over acting. The messy haired man had chosen this life. So being content it was.

It was not like acting would ever give him the same satisfaction as before.

So, Araya continued his quite life with Chiyoko without much change, until a certain phrase was uttered at the dinner table one evening.

“Can one of my friends come over this Friday?”

“huh!” Araya nearly spit out the water he had in his mouth. He needed to be calm. It was the first time Chiyoko had asked him something like this. something was up.

Evaluating him Chiyoko said again:” I asked if I could have a friend over, you know the thing that you do when you want to spend time with someone out of school.”

“first, you have friends? And second, you want them to come over? Isn’t your goal to keep them as much as possible away from me so you can be perfect, Angel?” he couldn’t help but sass a bit.

“I have friends, because unlike you I actually don’t spend all of my life locked in a small apartment waiting for your seven-year-old daughter to get out of school so you can talk to someone,” she answered. Araya knew that she didn’t really mean any of it, so it didn’t really hurt when she insulted him.

But she was still being unrespectful. Didn’t the old idiot say something about needing to respect your elders. Should he try to learn his daughter that?

Nah.

He liked her this way, plus she wasn’t the only one that was difficult:” So you have “friends” Chiyoko, why don’t you ever talk about them and again why do you want them over?”

“You know why.”  
Araya smirked. Of course, he knew. Chiyoko had friends, so she could keep an appearance. To keep her façade. They weren’t important to her. Which was why this was all the more confusing.

Why would she take the change to let these people meet her “crazy” father and get a change to see cracks in her façade?

Araya shook his head. Too much to proceed:” Yeah I do but it’s confusing.”

“Her name is Kei Yonagi and she is important,” she showed an expression he had never seen before. Like the name was enough of an explanation.

Had his daughter actually taken interest in a person?

This was to hilarious to not laugh of. Chiyoko had interest in the whole worlds interest in her, so to her no one except maybe Araya was really that important. In the same way that Araya didn’t really care about anyone which mad them insignificant if not irritating. Chiyoko cared about how everyone proceeded her, so no one was really important in the bigger picture.

Her taking interest in someone was just like a miracle happening.

Maybe life would get interesting again.

“You can have her over.”

~-~

His little angel had asked him to stay home. She wanted to walk home with Kei.

When first hearing about this Araya had been a bit disapproving, what if something happened? Chiyoko could be hurt, or worse Yonagi could be hurt. Araya could deal with his own daughter being hurt. It would mean he would get to spend more time with her and even though his dad protectiveness had started to kick in, he wouldn’t kill someone, but if Yonagi got hurt that was a whole other situation.

Her parents would be angry with him, and worse they could try to get some legal stuff involved. It would be a pain, maybe a bit of fun, because he could try to act a bit, but definitely mostly a pain.

Not something he wanted to get into.

But then he remembered who his daughter was. Chiyoko was ten time more responsible than him, and there was a bigger chance of him crashing while driving them home than Chiyoko letting them get hurt.

There were also more plusses with not getting them at school.

One of them was name Riku Õgami.

Araya still loathed him, and he was constantly on the guard so he wouldn’t have more awkward irritating encounters with the jackass. It hadn’t happened since he convinced Chiyoko to let him get her at the front instead of the back, and he wanted it to continue that way. He never wanted to see his face again and get his irritating sweet smell of strawberry in his noose.

Chiyoko walking home gave him the chance of staying even more away from Õgami. He was in pure bliss.

So now he sat and waited. Thinking about how he would act.

Acting.

He had begun to find a bit of fun in acting again.

It started out with him reading a really great book and trying to relate to the main character. The black-haired man had totally forgot that was how he used to get into character.

But yeah, he had been reading and then he remembered that Chiyoko had screamed a bit about their lack of milk this morning. Araya had thought that he probably should go get some.

So, he did, but something strange happened. When he got to the cashier he stated to act just like the main character. Without realizing it he had dipped into a character and forgotten to get up.

It was fun. The cashier was shocked by the way he acted; it was so out of character of Araya.

A bit of acting didn’t hurt anyone.

Araya continued with his scheme.

It was fun and kept him entertained. he had actually thought about doing it for the visit. For Chiyoko of course. Araya didn’t know what Chiyoko gained from having a friend over. If she wanted to show her a bit of her real self or she just wanted to seem more normal to her. If it was the first it would be convenient for Araya, he wouldn’t have to do anything.

But if it was the latter, he would have to act normal. So, wouldn’t the easiest thing be to get into a character. Chiyoko would probably be happy about him trying to fit with her façade, and it would probably shock her.

The look on her face would be fun. More fun that the random people he met on the street or the cashiers at the convenient stores.

He had actually decided to do that until yesterday evening. He had been in character to mess with the postman, and Araya hadn’t gotten all the way out of it. Chiyoko had of course noticed.

Guess what she called him:

Bipolar.

Araya had tried to explain, and of course she understood, too intelligent for her age, but she kept teasing him about it.

Araya agreed to never act when Chiyoko was around after that. Not like he had done it before though. His daughter knew about his acting career, but when ever they talked about it his angel called him weird and said that he was acting wrong.

They had very different opinions on what acting was.

He wanted the acting to become the truth.

She wanted an aura. She wanted acting to be more that reality. It was probably why she didn’t smell. She didn’t try to lie, well she did, but she tried to create something better than a lie.

Araya wanted to create the best lie.

Sometimes Chiyoko’s acting irritated him. Probably because it was a bit like a certain person he didn’t want to be reminded of. It was a bit too much likes his acting.

Maybe when she got older, he could-

Well the messy haired man didn’t get to finish that thought.

“WE’RE HOME!”

Too loud.

He got up from the sofa where Araya had laid most of the day and walked into the entrance. He needed to say hi before Chiyoko probably banned him to his room or locked her and friend into hers, plus something smelled.

Something smelled.

“Hey Angel and friend of angel,” he would try to be calm and not to awkward.

The two children looked flushed; it was probably cold outside. he took a good look at them.

Chiyoko looked mostly normal, except she wore her angel face. Araya never got to see that anymore, it was kind of refreshing.

But nothing he haven’t seen before.

Except there was definitely something. The young man just couldn’t put his finger on it.

Well Chiyoko was his daughter so he had all his life to figure it out.

He looked over at the other girl. This one wasn’t his daughter, so it was time to observe.

She had long black hair and big black eyes. It felt like they stared into his soul and saw everything. She wore a blue snowsuit and was more prepared for the weather than Chiyoko who only wore a simple black jacket.

The girl was just as cute as Chiyoko, but she didn’t give of the feeling of an angel like her, more like a demon.

A demon that smelled.

It was kind of scary. Araya had never met anyone that smelled that much. She smelled more than any actor, and he was sure that if somebody else could smell the way he did and smelled the both of them, she would smell more.

He slowly bent down and smelled the girl at the neck. Just to be sure that it came from her.

It came from her. He was sure.

Slowly he whispered:” Yonagi, you stink.”

~-~

The girl wasn’t that bad. Araya was pretty sure that he liked her. She was like the opposite of Chiyoko and she had slapped him when he had addressed her. Calling him a sexual harasser.

Like Araya would ever sexually harassing someone. He wasn’t Riku Õgami.

The girl had been scared and hid behind Chiyoko while his daughter tried to explain him. Something that took a bit more time than he had expected.

But then she calmed down. Understood that it was a great thing that she stank, and suddenly she wasn’t so suspicious of him.

When all that was over, Chiyoko did the responsible thing and introduced them. A proper introduction was needed.

Araya then invited them in, and they talked a bit.

The older male learned that Kei Yonagi was a pretty normal seven-year-old, except for the thing about stinking. Araya was sure that she would become an actress. She had two siblings and lived with her uncle. Apparently, there was some family troubles that needed to be dealt with. Yonagi wasn’t elegant or mature like Chiyoko. she was more of an in the moment type. Kind off clumsy.

But there was something more. An intelligence hid in her black eyes. Something behind her childlike behavior.

Well Araya couldn’t expect something less than interesting from a friend of Chiyoko’s.

Araya smiled a bit and walked into the kitchen. Chiyoko had insisted that she had something that she “needed” to show Yonagi, so they had moved into her room awhile ago. He had laid in the living room for a while, but he had concluded that he probably needed to make some dinner.

He didn’t know if Yonagi was staying for dinner, but he thought that he should make some dinner. His angel would appreciate it. if the other girl was staying, they would have homemade dinner, (something that nearly never happened) and if she didn’t, she would see him making dinner and think that was the norm.

The kitchen was quite the mess. Dirty plates all over, food stains at the counter and a half-eaten ryebread that he and Chiyoko had baked last weekend.

Maybe he should try to clean a bit before he started with the dinner, whatever that would end up being.

“What are you doing?” caught in the act.

Chiyoko appeared from behind and looked totally like herself. No angels face to him.

“I’m making dinner for us angel, isn’t that what I’m supposed to do?” his retort wasn’t too sarcastic.

Araya grabbed a plate and began to wash it.

“aren’t you doing the dishes?”

Well those two things were corelated:” I’m getting Ready to making dinner.” He looked over his shoulder and found those piercing eyes. Scary seven-year-old.

Wait what were she doing here. Why wasn’t she with Yonagi in their room? Did she trust the other girl that much?

The silence in the kitchen wasn’t awkward just quiet.

“Yonagi’s uncle is eating with us.”

He didn’t expect that.

“Why? When? And how does he know our address?” he asked. He couldn’t really proceed what was happening, but he needed more information.

“First, he is working late which is why Yonagi is here, he didn’t want her to be alone for so long so he asked her to ask a friend if she could stay over. I said to Yonagi that they could eat with us if they wanted to. I forgot to tell you. second, he is arriving 7 pm, and third I gave it to Yonagi so he could pick her up,” she really had everything planned out.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he placed the dish he had been working on down and walked over to her, sat down on a chair and placed his legs around the bag while laying his arms at it. It was comfortable and he didn’t want to do the dishes while he was talking to her.

“I thought you wouldn’t care,” well she was an honest one wasn’t she.

She had a point though:” You’re right.” He really didn’t care as long as she kept track of wats was happening and when. The messy haired male was just along for the ride.

“pfffttt, you are hilarious,” she was laughing like there was no tomorrow, placing her hand in front of her mouth and continued:” you’re not a working adult, you just aren’t. a freaking seven old is more mature than you and you basically leave your life to me, you don’t know how to act around people. You take absolutely no responsibility and is a terrible excuse of a parent,” well wasn’t she sensible.

“But you are amazing.”

Araya really couldn’t ignore the warmth that spread inside of him. he was content.

~-~

The clock had just hit 7 pm when Araya finished. The smell of katsudon filled the apartment and Yonagi’s uncle would arrive in a few minutes.

With pride he looked down at the food. Katsudon was one of the few dishes he could make, and he was sure that it had turned out amazing, it smelled just like Iwao’s. 

It had the same smell as that evening.

A little creepy smile appeared. He couldn’t really help it. The dish radiated home and calmness. Araya was sure that they would enjoy it, and if not, he would.

Maybe he should set the table. The messy haired male had spent a while on the dish, and it was already time for the planned dinner time.

He grabbed the necessary tableware, walked into the living room, looked at the table and placed the tableware.

Then he walked back into the kitchen. The male was going to grab the food. He could already taste the pork. Araya had never made it in the time when he had had Chiyoko so he hoped that she would enjoy it. he hummed a bit and grabbed the dishes.

And then someone knocked. It didn’t surprise him. he had expected it for a while and went out to get the door. As Chiyoko said: “it was bad behavior to let people wait at the door.

“Girls there is dinner now!” Shouted Araya. He informed the so they would be ready and then he opened the door.

Well that wasn’t a good idea. He immediately closed it and looked behind where Chiyoko suddenly stood.

“Aren’t you going to open the door dad?”

Little devil.

Like the hell he would open the door because on the opposite side of that door a certain actor was waiting to be invited in and eat dinner in Their home.

“Did you know anything about this?” she probably didn’t.

Chiyoko thought a bit about and then stated:” I didn’t know anything about it but I cant deny I had my suspicions.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he felt a bit of anger swell up in him.

“Because then you wouldn’t have let Yonagi come over, wouldn’t you? You do everything in your power to avoid that man, but I really wanted to have a friend over I’ve told you before, she’s special,” she answered.

“You could at least have warned me,” he needed to keep his calm. They’d just have an awkward dinner where Araya wouldn’t say anything and then it would be over.

“Maybe, but could you please let him in,” his angel finished with those words and left to get ready to dinner. Probably with Yonagi.

Araya took a deep breath. It couldn’t be that bad.

Time to open the door.

“Hey princess.”

He immediately regretted it. The scent of roses had already filled his apartment.

“Hello Õgami,” you could feel the strain in his voice. The taller male smirked and said:” I see that we meet again. I suppose it must be fate.”

“What are you doing here?” Araya knew the answer but that didn’t stop him for asking. He needed confirmation. Of course, he knew that there was no other reason for the male to be there, but still, he needed to be sure.

“well princess I’m here because I am going to eat a dinner I was kindly invited to and to pick up my little niece, your daughter must have mentioned it,” said Õgami and walked in while Araya took a step back. He couldn’t really keep the man out of the house.

“She may have mentioned that an uncle was picking Kei Yonagi up and that he would eat with us, but she certainly didn’t say it was you, and as far as I can see you aren’t named Yonagi, and if I remember correctly you introduced said that was another dad when we talked the other day, which implied that you was a dad yourself. I don’t see any way that I would have figured out it was you,” answered Araya while he took the other man’s jacket.

Why the hell did he do that again.

He knew he had dug his own grave when he looked Õgami into his eyes again.

“Oh, so you remember our encounter I’m so honored. The reason I associated myself with a dad is because I thought it would be too complicated to explain our family situation in the time we had,” he answered While wanted to set him on fire.

Well two could play that game.

“Well your seven-year-old niece explained what you thought was hard to do with a few minutes in a few seconds. I don’t know if that says more about you or her,” take that Õgami, now he just needed to continue the flow,” and by the way the only reason I remembered that encounter was because it reminded me of how idiots acts.”

The look on Õgami’s face made this visit all worth it.

“Huh what did you say Princess?”

Well when you play with fire there is the chance of getting burnt.

“I said nothing mister “I’ll never forget such a pretty face”,” it was finally his time to smirk. Araya turned around and began to walk to the living room.

“By the way please stop with the princess thing, the name is Araya Myojin. Don’t forget it,” Araya was really content with himself and he let a little chuckle slip out.

What Araya didn’t notice while he left the entrance, he left a bamboozled young flustered man that didn’t know if he was irritated or addicted to the other male that just insulted him.

~-~

Dinner wasn’t that bad. Õgami became more civil when the kids where around, and Araya could use the excuse that he was eating to avoid talking. Something that Õgami definitely didn’t do, no it was practically the opposite he talked at every single possible moment. Though the whole dinner he and Yonagi had an engaging conversation about some movie with Chiyoko commenting on small things then and there while Araya huffed and tried to eat his food.

It was so different, and Araya wasn’t sure about how he felt about it. eating with someone that wasn’t Chiyoko.

Well it was over now. Yonagi had as the last just finished her meal and Chiyoko was cleaning the table. She would probably ask Araya to do the dishes, and he would probably do it. just for this one night.

But for now, he would just sit and be calm. At least if it wasn’t for Yonagi and Õgami arguing. Maybe he should find out what that was all about. He should probably listen.

“I don’t want to go home!” well wasn’t Yonagi a charmer.

“Yonagi Araya san and Chiyoko have given us dinner and hospitality for a long time now, it’s time to go home, and we also need to get home so you can get a good night of sleep to be fresh at school tomorrow,” Said Õgami with a quiet voice. Araya assumed it was so he wouldn’t disturb Araya, but seriously they sat at the same table no matter how quite that idiot was he would still be able to be irritated by them.

And Araya already had the scent of roses that constantly irritated him.

But Araya didn’t have much time to think about stuff like that because Yonagi then mumbled:” More like so you can get a good night sleep because of your current production.”

Well he hadn’t expected that one. Araya hadn’t really thought about why Õgami couldn’t get home early that evening, but suddenly it clicked.

Riku Õgami was doing something really stupid.

He was trying to balance taking care of a child and an acting career.

“Kei you know it’s not like that,” hushed the older male. But that was the problem Araya could see that it was exactly like that.

“It is! And I want to stay here longer! Chiyoko hasn’t shown me all of her scripts yet!” Yonagi yelled.

Chiyoko’s scripts huh?

So that was what they had been doing while inside her room. Looking at the old scripts. They were actually Araya’s. The male had a bad habit of keeping his old ones. When he was still an active actor, he just couldn’t let go of a role, so he kept the scripts to keep a bit of them.

Araya had planned on throwing them out after he had quit but Chiyoko had seen them and insisted that she wanted them. She was weird child. She loved acting and movies, but she had a whole other idea of what acting was than Araya. The white-haired girl sometimes acted out parts of the scripts or she studied them get better at reading.

So Yonagi liked them too?

Chiyoko entered the room again and looked hi like he should explain what was happening with Yonagi angrily looking at Õgami.

“Chiyoko, how long would it take you to show Yonagi the rest of the scripts?” he asked out of nowhere and her didn’t know why. It would just result in him having to deal with the sickening scent, that Õgami had spread all over his house, for longer.

The little girl smiled sweetly and answered:” Around 30 minutes.”

Just as long as it took to do the dishes.

“Well then run into your room with Yonagi and get over with it, me and mister famous here will do the dishes,” saying it he realized that it meant he would spend 30 minutes alone with an idiot he really didn’t know how to feel about, but at that point it was too late.

The girls’ faces lit up and Chiyoko ran over and grabbed Yonagi’s hand to then drag her along. Yonagi was beaming with exactment while Chiyoko looked calm as usual.

Even though that something appeared again.

While the girls left the rooms Araya’s eyes fell on Riku Õgami who looked utterly confused. That confident handsome face that was plastered all over the internet was finally broken and Araya kind off wanted to frame it.

“Are you coming Õgami? Or are you scared of getting your hands dirty?”

The other man gained composure and answered:” In your dreams Princess.”

He would ask that idiot to stop later.

~-~

They had been washing dishes for a while now.

And that was all they literally hadn’t done anything else, no snarky comments or bickering. Just silence with the occasionally sound of water, and the sickening sweet scent of roses.

Should he bring it up?

All he had thought about while they did the dishes in silence was that. Araya needed to tell him. that idiot couldn’t just do something like that.

“You should give up on taking care on Yonagi,” there now it was out.

“What do you mean,” now Õgami was the one with the strained voice.

Araya finished the dish he was working on, sat it down, looked at the other male and answered:” You shouldn’t take care of her while you act, its stupid. Those things are impossible to balance.” He wouldn’t sugarcoat it.

Riku Õgami looked angry, and Araya wanted to remove the dish that he was holding form him. scary how some people could look. He had a fire in his eyes. Like all the aura that came from him when he “acted had been let out.

But then he didn’t look angry. The taller male let out a breath and moaned.

“It mustn’t.”

He looked away form Araya and down in the water and continued:” I can’t let Yonagi return to where she was.”

“It can’t be worse than being raised by an actor. Her guardian gets home late, she is a public figure from the start of her life, she will never really be able to leave it and you will never have time to her,” at least that was how it was if it was a movie actor like Õgami.

“I keep her out of the public light and other actors have children so it must be possible.” Riku retorted.

“No single parents and you can’t keep her away from the public forever,” he could continue this argument forever. He had already won it last year.

The older male hit table with his knotted fist.

“I will be able to.”

God this was irritating was he really that arrogant. Couldn’t he see how it would hurt the child later?

“As a personal failure of a parent I can with confident say that you are wrong and your way of raising her is worse than mine and Chiyoko will probably turn out terrible, plus aren’t you just Yonagi’s uncle don’t she have another family member that could take care of her. She told us that she had two smaller siblings. Can’t she live with them?” Araya said with a sudden coldness in his voice.

“NO, she can’t!” well that was sudden,” I couldn’t gain custody of all of them, but I will, and can’t let her return to that place.” He looked directly at Araya and his eyes were on fire again.

“and you are not a terrible parent,” was whispered.

Araya was a bit confused. Why would Riku Õgami want custody of three children?

The other male probably could read his emotions and continued:” They live with their dad and I need to get them away from him.”

“Why?”

He avoided Araya’s eyes:” You wouldn’t understand.”

Could one man be more irritating?

Araya shook his head and grabbed a new dish with one hand and with the other he directed the other males face, so he looked at him.

“We have all night, so try to make me understand Riku Õgami.”

Why did he want to know?

~-~

Maybe Riku Õgami wasn’t that bad. Araya didn’t want other to misunderstand him. the older male was still an absolute asshole, who thought to highly of himself and couldn’t recognize great acting even if it was placed directly in front of him.

But maybe he had a heart. Mostly devoted to himself but there was a bit space for other people.

Õgami had told him the story about Yonagi’s parents. About how they had married young with Õgami’s sister being madly in love with the man and devoting her life to him. they had been happy and even though the other male had already hated his sister husband at that point he had accepted it. they had had Yonagi and was one big perfect family. at least for a bit.

The problem was that Yonagi’s dad didn’t love Yonagi’s mother they way she loved him, and a year after the birth began a long string of affairs.

He wasn’t content with just one woman, and Riku’s sister knew. She just watched and accepted her fate without complains. Suffering right in front of her little brother who couldn’t do a thing.

Years went by and Yonagi observed the same things as her uncle who tried to help her through it.

But then something changed. Õgami’s sister got pregnant again. This time with twins. Happiness bloomed in the little family and Õgami thought that maybe that there was hope again.

His sister died giving birth.

He had tried to explain the pain to Araya, but he had asked him to stop. He already knew the feeling. The feeling of loosing someone that just always had been in your life.

He knew it a bit too well.

The funeral hadn’t been anything special just the closest family. the twins weren’t present. They were born to early and was in the hospital.

Õgami had said that he and Yonagi had held each other’s hands through the whole thing and never letter go. Yonagi had occasionally Longingly looked at her father, but she had kept quite.

Everything had been fine but sad. Riku had said that he had thought a bit about forgiving Yonagi’s dad that evening, he hadn’t been with any other women while his sister pregnant, so maybe he had gotten better.

He hadn’t. when it was time to leave he didn’t walk over to get Yonagi, no he just walked out of the room with another woman by his side.

Araya felt disgusted one thing was being a cheater another was being with another woman on the day of your wife’s funeral.

Õgami talked about how he held Yonagi that evening how they she fell asleep in his arms while crying. He talked about how he wanted to destroy the other man.

So, he had done it he had found his brother in law the next day and had given him a punch that probably could ruin his career if it got out, but he didn’t care.

Yonagi’s father had begged for peace and asked if they could find a solution.

They agreed that Õgami could take Kei.

When they did the custody stuff the argument for Riku gaining it was that the other man couldn’t take care of three kids alone.

Riku had wanted to take them all but he couldn’t.

After he had gained custody, he realized how hard it would be, but he couldn’t return her, he just couldn’t, and Araya could understand him.

“I’m not Yonagi’s dad and I will never be, but I can still be the best uncle ever.”

He really could.

But he also knew what the older male would try to do would affect Yonagi terribly.

After Õgami had finished the tale they finished the dishes in silence. Needing to think stuff through Araya didn’t even think about breaking it.

Õgami did neither. He looked defeated. You could see that he saw the worth in Araya’s words, but Araya was sure that he would do everything to ignore them. He could do the impossible, he was Riku Õgami.

And then they were finished, and a certain duo of girls appeared.

Yonagi ran though the kitchen which now had a moist air and hugged Õgami. It was a sweet little sight. Not something you saw every day, especially not in this apartment. Neither Araya or Chiyoko was the most affectionate people when they were together and even though sweet words appeared like the ones earlier, they never hugged that way.

Õgami lifted Yonagi up as a princess and said:” How are you doing Antenna girl?” now that Araya looked there was a lot of love in his voice.

The little looked surprised but happy and answered:” I’m happy Chiyoko showed me all her scripts and they were so amazing and cool just like Chiyoko.”

Araya looked over at Chiyoko who in silence were looking away with a face that kind off assembled a tomato. She was showing an awful lot of emotions this evening, wasn’t she?

“Well I’m happy you enjoyed your time while I worked my ass of in the kitchen.”

The little girl buried her face in the older man’s chest and whispered something that Araya couldn’t hear. He would ask Chiyoko later.

Smiling Õgami looked over at Araya and said:” We should get ready to go.”

“Yeah.”

Chiyoko and Araya followed them out to the entrance and while Chiyoko helped Araya and Õgami said their last goodbyes.

“Thank you for having us princ- I mean Araya it was really sweet of you to give us food and I’m very soryy for rambling my sob story to you, I know you don’t like me, I suppose some people can’t accept the perfect, I’ll stop now, so I’ll try to avoid you from now on,” well he certainly still was a bit of an asshole.

Araya didn’t say anything just shook his hand and looked away.

Õgami took Yonagi’s hand and grabbed the old doorknob. They were going to leave now.

They were going to leave now.

Shit Araya couldn’t let that happen, could he?

He grabbed the sleeve of the others male’s jacket.

“you can come over any time you like!” why did he say that again,” I mean her, Yonagi, I don’t like the thought of her being alone that much, she can stay here when you are not able to take care of her,” why did he continue he should just shut up this would bite him in the ass,” you can also eat here when you have time.”

God how embarrassing could he be.

Now he was the one avoiding the other’s eyes.

“Well, well what are this? princess do you actually like us?” Õgami said while Araya could feel a smirk appeared. That big irritating confident smirk.

“it’s not like I’m doing it for you Õgami, I just like Yonagi and don’t want your terrible upbringing to affect her. I like her smell.” The long-haired male looked a bit up and his eyes met with the other’s.

“I’m very thankful for that offer, and ill definitely use it, see you.”

Yonagi looking like she was going to explode waved goodbye to Chiyoko, and the two left.

Their apartment stank of roses the next few days, and Araya really didn’t know how to feel about it. just like the man who had left the scent himself.

~-~

So, there it started his weird relationship with Riku Õgami and Kei Yonagi. It was very simple how it worked. Nothing much changed except from Yonagi being present some days. Chiyoko or Yonagi herself would say that Riku had asked if she could stay over (or he would get a message, the idiot had insisted that he needed such pretty guys number), then proceed to place themselves in the back of the car, that Araya then would drive to either the grocery store or home.

They would return home just as normal, and most times it would result in Chiyoko and Yonagi retiring into Chiyoko’s room until dinner. It would bore Araya. He couldn’t talk to Chiyoko.

Well you reap what you sow.

But it wasn’t boring every time. Sometimes they would adventure outside the room and it was a delight. Yonagi was a great addition to the family she was the opposite of Chiyoko, and she talked a lot more than Araya. When they watched movies, she would always be the one to scream at the jump scare or the one who cried when someone died. She was terrible at school and when Araya helped her with homework, he realized how much of an easy child Chiyoko was.

One of the things she had also brought was the idea of acting again. when she’d returned for her 5th time to the apartment, she had proudly proclaimed that she had learned one of the scrips from by heart and that they “needed” to act it out.

Chiyoko had tried to explain that it was unreasonable, they just couldn’t do that. Araya had disagreed. He had pointed out that it could be fun and had asked Yonagi to get the script.

The white-haired angel had been fumbled her hands and looked down into the floor, Yonagi had nearly fallen over her own feet by trying to get it without thinking, and Araya had died of laughter.

There their little acting troupe had begun.

They would act out a little part of a script every fifth time Yonagi would appear at the gate with Chiyoko and stayed over.

It was fun.

Araya loved to get back into characters and seeing Chiyoko and Yonagi play the other ones were wonderful. They were a fuel to his fire. He wished that there were people like that in the acting scene when he was still active.

Yonagi was a genius. The little girl knew exactly how to get into character even though it usually took a bit time if the character didn’t remind her of herself. It was scary how she believed in her acting. Turned into someone completely different. It was like seeing magic. In one moment, Araya talked to a little girl and in the next a murderer.

She acted just like Araya, but she dived in head on instead of taking a little dip like him.

Yonagi smelled more and more for each time.

Chiyoko was like oil to their boiling water. She was the pretty thing. She created lies that were so far away from the truth, that just looked so beautiful from the outside.

She was an opposite to both and when they met, they made an explosion.

It different what happened when it was evening time.

That difference was caused by Riku Õgami.

His schedule was always different. So sometimes he could get Chiyoko early, then it was just Chiyoko and him when it was dinner time. Other times he would arrive in time for dinner. In the beginning it had been a pain in the ass to have him over. He was an asshole.

But then he got used to that asshole. After weeks of him coming over it just kind off clicked. He didn’t feel irritated every time he saw him, and there bickering started to be a bit entertaining. 

Still too sure of himself though.

Araya guessed that somethings never changed. He couldn’t change who the man was, and with a bit of snarky comments that made it a bit lesser present, Araya learned to live with it.

And with time he was sure that he would also get used to the roses.

It was starting to be something that he needed to get over. Seeing the other man nearly every other day and having him eat there every third. The apartment was full of his scent. Sweet and alluring bit sick.

The long-haired male wasn’t sure how but neither his nor Yonagi’s smell could overpower the Õgami’s.

The man was like Yonagi becoming a constant in his life. Araya wasn’t sure if they could each other friends, but he couldn’t ignore that her was one of the three people that he saw the most.

Of course there was days were the older actor didn’t join them. They had come to a silent agreement on Yonagi staying over if he couldn’t get to dinner.

Araya would drive the girls to school the next day, and life would continue.

Yesterday had been one of those days.

He was tired.

Yonagi had insisted that they acted all night and as the responsible adult he was, he hadn’t said anything. Just accepted it. So, all of them had gotten next to no sleep.

After setting them of at school earlier he had gone home and slept all day. At least up to now. When he had been forced to get up to get Chiyoko at school.

Sitting in his car he felt like it was so pointless. Everything was so pointless.

“Knock knock princess,” spoke a recognizable voice from outside of the car.

it happened.

Well wasn’t that a pleasant surprise. Araya looked up from his phone and found the keen eyes of a winner looking directly at him. Like Araya was some kind of meat. Smirking taunting at him like he had won something big.

Araya opened his window a bit:” Cut the nicknames Õgami”

Õgami took a step back and answered:” But I like them, and Chiyoko does.”

“She just finds my misery fun, and the fact that you just compared your opinion with a seven-year old’s show how much of a child you are,” smiling a bit himself he looked a bit down. Enough to not meet the other male’s eyes directly but not so he couldn’t see what he was doing.

Õgami ruffled his spiky hair and in a sudden moment he moved his hand forward, grabbed Araya’s chin and made him look up.

“We both know that Chiyoko is much more of an adult than the both of us,” sadly he had a point.

But he wouldn’t admit that. Instead he just stayed silent and looked at Õgami. The other still holding his chin with hi rough hands, he was probably doing something he wasn’t used to at his current project.

Õgami didn’t remove his hand, so they just stayed like that for a while.

That was until Araya got self-awareness. Suddenly he felt his cheeks heat and his heart started to go a bit faster. Weren’t the situation a bit to intimidate.

He quickly looked away again:” maybe you are right.”

There he said it. that was what Õgami wanted. Araya was sure.

“Yes, because I’m always right and you just need to accept it.”

Like that would ever happen:” Keep telling yourself that.”

It was an unspoken rule he had made for himself that Õgami never should get the last word. The messy-haired make knew that it was a childish, but it didn’t stop him from doing everything in his power to make it happen.

“I will.”

Arhhhhhhh.

Araya thought a bit about how to answer, when Õgami suddenly started to speak again:” by the way, what are you doing back here? don’t you get Chiyoko in the front after that one time I approached you?”

Shit he’d noticed?

“Well yes, but according to Chiyoko we now get along, so I have no reason to make her take such a big risk,” they had had a little bit of an argument, but there was no need to stress that.

The male in the car looked up and right into the other eyes. Seemingly delighted.

“Now that’s amazing now we can talk even on the days I’m not coming over. we are becoming like best friends isn’t that amazing princess?” Araya couldn’t figure out if he was mocking him.

“Like anyone would ever be excited to talk to you at a daily basis.”

Now his car would also stink of roses.

And the problem was that he wasn’t sure that he would mind.

Especially with the way his heart skipped a beat when he heard the word princess.

~-~

Riku Õgami had invited them over.

Apparently, he thought that he needed to repay them for having them over so much. He had just texted Araya and asked if Saturday would fit them.

Of course, it did.

~-~

Araya didn’t know what he had expected Yonagi and Õgami’s house to be like, but it definitely wasn’t this. they were rich, so he’d had created an images of a big fancy house placed in centrum, not a simple little traditional style Minka.

The male wasn’t sure why it surprised him though. He and Chiyoko had more than enough money to live in a fancy house themselves, but Araya also choose that they lived in a little apartment.

They house seemed homie from the outside, but still a bit to big for two people.

“Dad if you’re not going to knock in a few seconds,” threats were a great way to get pulled out of your thoughts.

“yeah yeah, I know angel I’ll do it now,” Araya answered. He was just a bit in awe.

He stepped forward and knocked at the wooden door. Very simple. A rustle came from the inside, then it opened, and they were greeted by a little girl, that he knew very well.

“Pardon the intrusion,” Chiyoko said, and smiled at the other girl who hurried up and hugged her.

_“Pardon the intrusion,”_ whispered Araya, made his way around the two girls and began to shred his outwear and shoes.

The girls finished their greetings and Yonagi turned to Araya:” It’s great to see you Araya-san, and before you ask Riku is in the kitchen and making food.”

“Well thank you Yonagi, by the way I’m actually surprised that Õgami actually knows how to cook, isn’t the only thing he is good for being famous?”

Yonagi would never get a chance to answer that question.

“It’s a pleasant surprise to find out that Õgami cooks, but shouldn’t you go help him?” well wasn’t Chiyoko fast at interrupting.

Araya felt his lips twitching a bit:” I was planning to.”

“Well go do that.”

“Well why do you want me to leave little lady.”

Chiyoko grabbed Yonagi’s hand:” because Kei said she wanted to show me something and we can’t do that with you around can’t we?”

“No, I suppose we can’t do that,” he stood up and walked into the next room, while feeling warm. Chiyoko was growing. She wasn’t putting up a façade at all she just acted normally. Even though her normal was different when she was around Yonagi. Her angel façade became the truth.

It was fun.

After leaving the children in behind he walked into the living room, and Araya could finally see Riku Õgami I the house. There was plastered with movie posters and different artifacts from around the world with a single little statue placed in the middle.

An Oscar.

Araya knew Riku had won one. It had been all over the news when it had happened. The first Japanese male actor to win best supporting actor. It had been all his fellow actors had talked about for weeks. He fondly remembered how the old man had shouted at the for being jealous of something that stupid. They were theatre actors which were a lot more amazing than those idiots that acted in movies.

Araya couldn’t deny it was pretty, but he’d never want to win something like that, he liked being in the shadows, only known to the world of theater. He didn’t want to be like Õgami.

“You like it?”

When you speak of the sun.

“No, its obnoxious, to much color,” like he’d ever say anything else.

Shockingly sounded: “huuuh, come on princess you can admit that it’s pretty amazing.”

Araya turned around to look at the other man, ignored his heart and to behold what he saw was a special sight. You see in front of him where Riku Õgami placed in an apron with a pink flower pattern.

“nah it’s terrible just like your looks, and stop with the nicknames,” Araya answered while keeping his laughter in.

It was to hilarious.

“When you stop laughing,” Araya never said anything about being good at holing his laughter.

Well he had noticed, so there was reason to hold it back, where there?

“it’s- j-just t-to hhhh-hilarious,” the pink apron was just so different form the others usual fashionable style. It in some way it was kin off cute.

Cute.

Nothing about Riku Õgami was cute.

The other man looked like he wanted to give up and Araya could partially understand him, but he just couldn’t stop.

“Cut a man some slack I’m making dinner and it was the only thing I had,” he stated.

The messy-haired male tried to calm his laughter:” I-i know b-but it’s wonderful.”

“Shut up and come help me princess.”

It was time for Araya to be the one smirking while Õgami now was the one gritting his teeth. Araya felt so happy that he didn’t even notice the stench of roses.

~-~

Riku Õgami was officially the worst cook ever. Where in the hell did, he get the idea that he should even try to get near a kitchen. When Araya had arrived, it was nearly on fire and it was messier than Araya’s own before the others had started to come over. it had been a hell to save.

He had tried to ban the other male from the kitchen, but he had insisted that he needed to help. He was the one that invited them to dinner.

So, Araya degraded him to veggie chopper, but even at that he failed. It was at the point where Araya started to ask how he even managed to feed Yonagi and himself at a daily basis.

Apparently, he got food delivered.

Well he should just have done that.

But that fact that Riku Õgami was terrible cook didn’t make it less fun to do it with him with him. Araya loved the way he lost all his confidence and asked Araya about everything and became extremely scared the second that anything with heat was included.

Wait no sentences with love and Õgami were allowed.

It was a mess being with him in a kitchen, more of an inconvenience than a help, but surprisingly they finished with a great result. A nearly perfect hijiki salat with natto an rice, that apparently was Yonagi’s favorite.

They had called the girls in, and Chiyoko polite as she was had thanked Õgami greatly for the dinner, and of course he had started to brag about his amazing cooking skills, failing to mention Araya.

Still an asshole. Like Araya who made fun of it.

The dinner was fun. Everyone had been chatting excitedly at the table about different stuff, though one of the more present topics being a premiere on a big movie, based on popular manhwa, where Õgami played the main character.

Apparently, it was going to be “Amazing” something that Araya and Chiyoko simply couldn’t miss.

And then they finished dinner. Everything thing was eaten down to the last crumb.

Araya asked Õgami to help him do the dishes. Even though it wasn’t his home it just felt so natural. It would always be the two of them doing the dishes, while the children finished whatever they were doing.

Õgami had been a bit stunned when the blue-eyed male had said it, but the he joined in.

They talked a bit more, but after a few minutes they fell into a comfortable silence. Just like they always did. Except when they felt like bickering, they did that too.

Araya slowly finished the last dish. It was time to get Chiyoko.

Chiyoko who sweetly had fallen asleep beside Yonagi.

“Don’t bother waking her up,” Õgami appeared from behind and grabbed Araya’s shoulder.

The other male looked up behind him and asked:” why?”

Hauling him out of the room and closing the door, he answered:” Because Yonagi is horrible to get to sleep. If you wake Chiyoko up, you’ll also wake her up.”

Araya was a bit confused:” Yonagi never has a hard time sleeping over at ours.”

The taller male shook his head and moaned:” that’s because she in some mystical way knows how to sleep whenever Chiyoko is around and it’s kind off driving me crazy. Please let them sleep princess.”

Well that wasn’t something you saw every day, Riku Õgami begging.

He was disgusting for liking it.

“Well if I can’t wake her up and take her home what am I supposed to do?”

The immediately said:” Stay the night.”

God Araya hated blushing.

~-~

He had of course accepted the other male’s offer. Why not? It was more practical for him too. He didn’t need to drive home tired and he wouldn’t have to deal with breakfast the next morning.

Even though he would probably be the one making it, but he tried to forget that for a second.

Õgami had helped him getting the guest room ready, and now that they had did that, they’d sat down in the living room. Enjoying their quite alone time. An alone time that made Araya realize something.

He wasn’t bored. He hadn’t been for a while. Not any time of the day. Never bor-

“You are amazing Araya Myojin.”

Huh.

The blue-eyed male slowly turned his head to look at the other male who was dreamingly staring up into the ceiling.

What the hell was that. Why did Riku Õgami the arrogant confident a list actor just call him amazing. Had he figured out that he had acted. No that was impossible.

He was blank, how were you supposed to answer something like that.

“You are younger than me, but you know exactly how to raise you daughter, you know how to cook, always a step ahead in whatever you are doing, you are realistic and don’t do something you know is impossible, rational but determined and such a likeable person.”

What?

None of those words described him. what was that idiot thinking? Why did he have to say stuff like that about Araya?

“None of that is true. I have no idea about how to take care of my daughter. I am just lucky to have such an intelligent girl, and yes I know how to cook but not the determination to do it without you guys coming over, I’m always a step ahead because I don’t want to do anything unnecessary, and I’m a coward the reason that I don’t even try to do something if it will bring problems with it. scared of it resulting in something negative, and a likeable person. You make me laugh. I’m terrible with people. I hate most of them too. Either too boring or too irritating.

Just like life. I’m not like you Õgami who can make everyone love you and, know how to do everything you want to without giving up on something,” Araya could feel the tears pressing. It hurt to compare himself with Õgami, but he needed to make him understand. He didn’t what the asshole to see him as some amazing perfect person.

He was just a disgusting excuse of a parent.

“What the hell!” Õgami grabbed his shoulders and turned Araya so he was looking at him.

Araya felt his heart racing faster.

“Maybe you are actually an idiot if you think that! Can’t you see that we all think you are amazing! You have such honest eyes!” Riku continued to shout, but Araya didn’t hear the rest.

_I’m scouting you.”_

_“You have good, honest eyes.”_

He couldn’t hold the tears back. It had been so long since he had heard those words. Since he had people that he cared about and since someone cared about him.

They just streamed down his face, made him all red.

Õgami noticed and stopped talking. Just for a second.

“I’m sorry if I overstepped some boundary. I just really wanted to tell you” his hand moved to Araya’s cheek,” You always insult others just like me, but sometimes it can feel like you are also doing that to yourself. I don’t know if it’s true, but both me and Kei really appreciate you, Chiyoko too. You may see a terrible excuse of an human when you see yourself in the mirror, if I’m correct you also don’t care, but still I wanted you to know that it wasn’t true, princess,” he laughed a bit and retreated his hand.

“idiot,” Araya sobbed.

He meant himself. Because he had realized that he unconsciously had started to love the scent of roses, and with that came the love for the only person that smelled like them.

~-~

Araya was still a bit embarrassed about the events of the evening. Õgami had helped him to calm down after his breakdown, and after that he had fallen to sleep at the sofa. Right besides Õgami.

It was so embarrassing.

He’d been scared that everything would be different the next morning, that it would awkward or something.

But It wasn’t. it was just normal.

Everything was normal, and Araya didn’t know how to react. Especially with the revelation he had had when he talked with Õgami.

He was in love with Riku Õgami, and he really didn’t know how to react.

So, he didn’t. He kept quite through breakfast and continued to not say a word until it was time to leave. Or rather Õgami asked something when it was time to leave.

“Do you want to join me for the premier next week? I know it’s going be a hassle to find someone to take care of the kids, but I really want you to go with me princess.”

the two kids were still out cleaning up after dinner, so it was just the two of them. Araya felt the blush creeping. Did Õgami just ask him out on a date?

No that couldn’t be it. it was probably Õgami’s way of asking for forgiveness, but that didn’t sound like him. Maybe he just wanted a friend to go with so he wouldn’t be bored.

Should he accept?

He had already spent a few seconds silently panicking, so he didn’t have much time before it became weird.

Did Araya want to go? Yes. He was in fucking love with that asshole, of course he wanted to go, but would that make it awkward? He had only realized that he was in love with him last evening, but he had already managed to make all the time they had spent after that awkward.

But Õgami would ask why he didn’t want to go if he declined, and what was he supposed to then, he had no reason to do so. Õgami had already brought the kids up.

Araya concluded that he needed to accept.

“Sure, Õgami.”

The messy-haired male could literally feel the excitement from the other male.

“Amazing, I’ll find out what we do with the kids,” Õgami said while he genuinely smiled.

“Oh, and Araya please drop the last name thing, we’ve known each other to long for that.” Said “Riku” and his heart literally skipped a beat.

What was worse that he also saw two pair of gold eyes staring them down.

~-~

“So, when are you and Riku going to start dating?”

Araya nearly spitted out the water in his mouth:” Huh!”

Chiyoko looked at him like he was stupid and continued:” You know that thing where to parties that both are romantically interested in the other confess their love and then start to hang more out and openly show their love.”

“I don’t-“ well technically he did bit Chiyoko didn’t need to know.

The little girl interrupted him:” don’t tell me a lie, you’ve gotten a lot closer, plus you act different around him. I’ve never seen you that way. Love me like your daughter and Kei is something close to that, but the love you feel for Riku is definitely something else, and don’t tell me that it’s not love because you definitely care for him.”

Well it was true that he and Riku had gotten a lot closer over the last week, but that was just because Riku suddenly had found out that it was fun to text, which it wasn’t. he texted him at least 10 times at day and it’d kind of hard to not get close with a person you message so much while meeting him nearly every second day.

“The first one is true, but if that thing about acting different is true then doesn’t that apply to you and Yonagi,” answered Araya.

“Yes.”

Well shit he hadn’t expected her to be so honest about it.

Araya shook his head and said:” Well if that’s the case why do you want me to get with Riku, wouldn’t that make you like half-sisters if we hypothetically got married one day?”

“Firstly, we would be something like cousins in law, secondly, I will fix that at that point, both Yonagi and I are children. So, what if I’m beginning to get romantic feeling for her, there’ll go years before Yonagi will maybe feel something similar, thirdly I don’t want you to have that look again,” She looked serious and angry.

“What look?”

What the hell was he doing? he ruffled his hair, trying to wrap his head around what was happening.

“That look you get whenever you are talking about or with Riku. From an outsider’s perspective you look happy and you are, but you aren’t. You can’t show everything you are feeling so you lock it down! Do you realize how phatic you look?!” she started shouting halfway through and Araya was kind of shocked.

Chiyoko never had big breakdowns where she showed all her feelings, she never shouted even though she was angry.

At least until today.

“No, I don’t.”

He closed his eyes, getting ready for another scolding.

But that wasn’t what happened. Instead he felt two small arms connecting around his tunica.

“Please dad, just confess. I just want to see you happy.”

~-~

Why did Araya come t this again? he was standing outside the Cinema where they supposed to meet.

Him and Riku.

He was going to confess tonight. When he had seen his daughter trying to get him to confess, he realized how stupid he was. He was an adult he should deal with stuff like that head on, not ignoring it forever.

So, what if Riku rejected he would probably mock him for a few weeks, but Araya was sure that they still could be friends or hang out. If not for themselves, for Chiyoko and Yonagi.

Everything was going to be fine, and there was also the possibility of Riku accepting his confession.

Ha, like that was ever going to happen.

And who was he kidding nothing was going to be fine if not because of the confession because of this. Araya hated being around people they were boring and irritating.

Totally didn’t make him want to throw up.

He just wanted Riku to appear then it wasn’t be that horrible, he would be fine when Riku Arrived even though he also possessed the greatest dander.

Araya looked frantically around. Where was he? It was already 10 minutes after the time they had agreed on and he was nowhere to be found. There was paparazzi’s all around him and he had checked if there was any news about the movies big star arriving early.

But then he heard a familiar sound. A sound he had heard on the first day of the school year.

“RIKU! ÕGAMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!”

The screams were so loud and suddenly there were camera’s all over. Araya had no idea what to do, they hadn’t discussed how they would meet up just where. He should have thought this through.

Araya felt sick, he needed to get to that asshole who clearly didn’t think this through.

The only thing he could think of doing was getting up to the front.

God, he regretted it.

Riku Õgami was standing at the red Carpet giving his signature smirk to all the camera’s enjoying all the attention. All that Araya had expected, but what he hadn’t expected was a Pretty orange haired girl.

She was pretty short, beautiful eyes, a green dress with no sleeves and artificial black roses in her hair.

And she was clinging to Riku. His Riku, which wasn’t his Riku.

They looked perfect together. Were they dating? Probably. Riku never mentioned anything about his life as an actor, so it was very possible for him to have an girlfriend in that part of his life.

How stupid could Araya be. Of course, he dated someone he was Riku Õgami the most popular actor in Japan. The blue-eyed male had been naïve. He hadn’t thought about Riku dating someone else, he just thought that being Yonagi’s kept him from dating just like being Chiyoko’s had kept him form doing it, even though he didn’t really want to date anybody before Riku.

Araya couldn’t bear the thought of sharing Riku.

He needed to get away.

So, he did. He ran.

He didn’t even hear a voice that he hadn’t heard for a long time calling after him.

~-~

Araya had holed himself up in his room. Chiyoko and Yonagi was being looked after at Riku’s. So, he had been able to go home and cry alone. He had shut his phone off and had laid there in the darkness up until now.

He had no idea of the time, and he didn’t want to have, because it was probably day. He was probably going to go get Chiyoko at school, but he just couldn’t.

He was truly a terrible parent and more a terrible person.

But everything was to much. Why couldn’t he just accept the Riku wasn’t just his and they could continue to be friends.

He knew the answer, but it disgusted him.

He was becoming like a woman, felling jealousy.

It hurt. He remembered the feeling from playing different female roles, but Araya knew from experience that feelings he felt himself was ten times more powerful.

“Pardon the intrusion.”

Well he had missed getting Chiyoko at school. He would say sorry later. Would she understand him? maybe? He wasn’t sure.

He kept laying and letting the tears flow.

And then someone knocked.

He didn’t open. Chiyoko would understand that he needed alone time if he didn’t do anything. Terrible he knows but he couldn’t deal with anyone.

The problem was that the door opened instead of staying closed, and there he stood, right in the doorframe.

Riku Õgami.

“What in the fucking hell are you doing, Araya;” he could feel the anger in his voice.

“Firstly, you don’t show up to the premier, or you do but you run away,” shit he saw,” secondly, you don’t call or message me about anything and lastly you don’t come and get your own daughter at school, while hiding in your room without any contact to anyone. What is going through your fucking mind Araya Myojin?”

He hid his face under the blanket and buried it.

A hand slowly removed the blanket while a calmer Riku’s asked:” seriously what is going on Araya, is it because of that girl? Did you really not want me to know you acted that much?”

Araya felt a string confusion.

“What girl?” asked he back with a timid voice.

“the one that recognized you before you ran. I think her name was Nanao something. She shouted your name and then you ran. I didn’t see it, but I heard her shouting your name, so I went over and asked her about it. apparently, you had acted at the same theater, but you suddenly disappeared, and no one knew where you were. You ran because you saw her if I’m correct. You really didn’t want me to know that you acted?” he sounded a bit sad.

The long-haired male looked up in the eyes of the other and answered:” it’s not that I didn’t want you to know, it’s just not a part of my life anymore. I gave up on all that stuff when I adopted Chiyoko. I actually never saw Nanao.”

Araya could fell the confusion from the other male:” Why did you run then?”

“Because I was jealous.”

He was so stupid. Just lie and say it was the truth.

“Why?” he was a stupid asshole.

Araya avoided the other eyes: “Because I’m a stupid lovestruck idiot and I’m in love with you.”

“So of course, I get jealous when I see you in the arms of some stupid pretty perfect girl. You are allowed to hate me for this. I know I’m probably ruining our friendship by saying this, but it just hurts to fucking much, so please go reject me.”

He was ready for the pain for the judging eyes, for never talking to him again.

What he wasn’t ready for was Riku grabbing his face and forcing their lips together.

He definitely didn’t expect that.

It was a surprise, but a pleasant one that made him forget what was happening. It made him feel warm and happy.

But it didn’t last long enough.

Riku pulled away and began to speak a bit too fast:”Youlikemeyoureallylikeme!whythehellshoudl youbejealous?i’velovedyouforlikeever-“

Araya stopped him:” What are you saying?” he was flushed and felt happy and embarrassed at the same time, and he just wanted to know what was happening.

The man that he had just kissed took a deep breath looked at him. it was so serious. It was the same look he had had that evening. The one in the sofa.

“I’ve loved you in like forever Araya. I literally called you pretty the first time we talked, and I’ve been flirting with you since that, but I kind of concluded that you didn’t like people, and now you just said that you love me and dropped me because you was jealous of the lead actress that I was forced to arrive with. You are not fair, you know that, right?”

Riku loved him.

Riku Õgami loved him.

Araya didn’t know how to response. He sat up and tried to wrap his head around everything.

“I’m sorry I guess?” he really didn’t know what to say.

The older man huffed, looked away and said:” You better be. Why didn’t you just confess?”

Now it was Araya’s turn to huff and look away:” Why didn’t you confess asshole?”

“Touché princess.” With those words it was like all the tension in the room broke. It was just Riku what did he have to fear.

Araya let a little laughter out and searched for the others hand.

“I was scared.”

He found it.

“Me too.”

It was so warm.

“Should we stop being scared.”

It was his home.

“Yes.”

Chiyoko his angel, Yonagi the genius, Riku the idiot he loved and the scent of roses that it seemed like he would never escape.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a little passion project of mine. I know I’m probably the only person in the fandom that ships them, and the they are a bit out of character in this, but I really enjoyed writing this and I hop whoever is reading this enjoyed it too.


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